Man admits assaulting police officer during vicious attack

A 27-year-old Dargaville man today pleaded guilty to assaulting a Northland police officer - one of two officers injured in a brutal attack during a Christmas Day arrest.

Stewart Anthony Tahere, who has been in custody since his arrest, pleaded guilty today to assaulting the officer and also admitted a charge of escaping lawful custody when he appeared before Judge Harvey Duncan in the Dargaville District Court.

Tahere was one of five people who reappeared today on a number of charges relating to the assault which left both policemen hospitalised for a short time. He was remanded in custody until April 23.

The two officers had been responding to reports from church-goers who saw teenagers damaging letterboxes.

During the arrest, the policemen were allegedly punched to the ground then kicked. One officer was knocked unconscious. Police said he was forced to use his pepper spray and fired his Taser twice.

One woman allegedly used a brick as a weapon and tried to shoot the officer with his own Taser after it was taken from him.

When she was unable to fire it, she smashed it.

In court today, police withdrew the sole charge of aggravated assault on police against 19-year-old Kiki Uelese, of Wellington.

Alissa Sailo Gooding, 25, and Joshua Terrence Dennis Pilisi-Mohetaue, 28, both from Dargaville, were remanded without plea for a post committal conference on February 28.

Gooding is charged with injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assaulting police with a weapon and damage to police property (a Taser), while Pilisi-Mohetaue is charged with injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

William Campbell-Tahere, 17, had a charge of escaping custody withdrawn, but still faces three other charges.

He entered no plea to two of wilful damage and one of disorderly behaviour.